On Sept. 8, WAMO 106.7FM and AM 860 faded to black without any notice to the radio listening audience. Around 6 p.m. DJ Boogie, the program director and on-air deejay for WAMO 106.7FM, played “It’s so hard to say goodbye” by R&B group Boyz II Men. At 6:10 p.m. the radio station that began 61 years ago, was nothing but static. The community is outraged and no one has stepped up to the plate to bring in another urban radio so far.

BLAKK STEEL

There is hope for us who go online or will buy satellite radio, but for the rest of the community, it is over.

“Now that WAMO officially signed off the air for the last time, I am still saddened that the only Black radio station in Pittsburgh was unable to be saved from obscurity. I know that I will soon feel a great disconnect to my culture and the topics that impact me as an African-American female in the Pittsburgh area,” said Angela D. Stribling

Some of WAMO’s staff had a lot to say about the radio station and its impact on the community through the years.

“WAMO was a great place to work and the listeners hands down were the best,” said Quincy McConnell, former deejay of WAMO known as GQ, said. “You have some people that are happy they have shut down, and then you have some that aren’t feeling it at all. The most important thing for people to understand is radio always has been and always will be a business and just like any other business if you aren’t seeing a profit or growth in your business you can either lose money or sell and make money. I’m saddened by the closing of WAMO but I completely understand. WAMO gave me the opportunity to see and do things I may not have ever done and I’m grateful for that.

“Folks will almost be forced to scramble for satellite radio, or get up on the newest mix CD. At the rate things are going now, our market will be burned down and out by the end of the year, unless another network steps in and sets up shop with another radio station.”

Blakk Steel, a former deejay at WAMO, told what was going on behind the scenes.

“WAMO’s demise was a slow process in the making. If you take the programming, Pittsburgh radio where WAMO was involved, hasn’t been ‘Pittsburgh radio’ for years. There were no songs on-air that were unique to listening to radio in Pittsburgh. Instead, the playlist consisted of the songs forced into rotation in the top five markets in the country. Even though this has become the way of commercial radio across the board, every market, including ours, played songs that were indicative of their market.”

WAMO has long-since stopped “breaking” records, he said. They just “maintained” what was already going on in the rest of the country. So, songs new to WAMO listeners were already old in other markets, even though jocks got them the same time as everyone else, he said. Behind the scenes, there was plenty of cliques, jealousy, envy, greed, selfishness, nepotism and on certain levels, ignorance and incompetence, he said. They survived that longer than anyone in the know would’ve given them credit for. The biggest impact of WAMO’s absence was felt immediately, when the switch was thrown. For as many people that complained about the music and the too few songs being played, all can respect the fact that WAMO was good for getting information out for what was going on in the Black community, he said.

“It was the only thing that we had. Now our communities have become more divided than ever, due to the lack of knowing what’s going on in the city,” said Steel. Even though the community was aware of the sale, most people assumed they would be notified when it was officially going off the air, but that was not the case. This year has been a year of major losses in our community and people are wondering what’s next?

Arlinda Moriarty of Moriarty Consultants has been a WAMO listener for years and is thankful for the station and what it brought to the community.

“Thanks WAMO for showing me we can dare to dream beyond what we know that surrounds us. We should take what you have shown us and start anew. It is not the end of an era. It is time for a new generation of broadcasts and I welcome change and embrace challenge,” said Moriarty.

“I question if sustainable efforts were ever truly explored to resuscitate this now extinct local icon,” said Grace Dixon-Kizzie. “As a life-long listener, I grooved (Yes, I said grooved) to Brother Matt, jammed to the (annual) end-of-the-year music countdown and proudly accepted frequent invitations from Anji Corley and Allegra Battle to be their on-air guest professional. The reality is that this chapter of Pittsburgh’s history has come to a dramatic end and has left a major void in Pittsburgh, replacing the rhythmical sounds of K’Jon, Ginuwine, and so many others, with radio static waves. Whatever happened to “Change for the better?”

“First off, I would like to send my condolences to the Harvey Adams family. Pittsburgh has not only lost one, but two urban leaders, the other being WAMO,” said Ryann Joiner, known as Baby Geese. “WAMO not only played music but also helped the urban community. WAMO has helped me meet many people that I would have otherwise never met if it wasn’t for them. It saddens me that the younger generation will not be able to listen to WAMO as I did when I was younger.”

Other WAMO staff that worked behind the scenes are grateful for the time they had at the station.

Maria Davis, a receptionist, is one of the grateful ones because she had the opportunity to work for a radio station. It was a dream of hers to be there.

Ty Miller, sports director for American Urban Radio Network, said it’s sad that a major city doesn’t have an African-American radio station.

“It’s going to be missed because it’s been here since I’ve been here over the past 22 years. I feel bad for the people waking up in the morning expecting to hear WAMO whether they like the music or not or whether they like the personalities or not. I think that someone will step up to the plate and bring another urban radio station here. There’s a void here and it may not be overnight but I believe something will happen in less than a year,” Miller said.

Brian Cook, national news and sports journalist of American Urban Radio Network said, “Sixty-one years of history is gone. Hopefully in the future we will see a radio station come into the city or a major network bring an affiliate here or maybe we might see one of the stations that already exists here flip to an urban format. You never know what will happen. This business is crazy right now so anything is possible.”

Leisha Logan, former marketing and promotions director for Sheridan Broadcasting, said it was sad. She said that a lot of people in the area were not pleased with some of the things WAMO did, but she said it did provide a service for the community and that voice will be gone.

“I think sometimes we don’t realize the impact of something until it’s not there any longer,” Logan said.

Some people in the community felt WAMO was gone before the sale on May 15.

“I think WAMO was gone a long time ago,” Chill Montgomery said. “They never projected the opinions and views of the Black youth. There was no more promotion of community events. I feel that what they were pushing was more bad than good. Look at the poison they were feeding our children. If you’re speaking in the aspect of us losing a Black radio station, you have to look at the whole picture. We lost WAMO years ago. A great example is when BET sold out to Viacom. Now you see nothing but thong videos.”

Comments (6)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by Tony, January 03, 2010

What about all the white people that listening to wamo? In other major cities urban radio does not seem to be just a black issue like it is here in Pittsburgh. For 96.1 trying to fill the void they havent stepped up at all and play exactly the same songs as B-94. If Kiss or even B-94 was smart they would at least go full rhytmic or churban instead of just trying to appeal to kids and young white females.

• 
• -1
• 
• 

Things change for reasons.
written by Robert W. Flanagan , November 26, 2009

As a 40 year old black man, my family always listen to Wamo, especially during the holidays. I use to love the old school music that wamo played, but as i grew up and my music selection changed so did Wamo. No longer did i hear the diversity of old, new music, but more of the music that pollutes are children minds. Gangsta rap is one of the things that I am talking about, with artist that stilled put out my with morals, ethics and an message, Wamo still carried the thug music until it could not do anything else. WIth it misguided music selection and not really talking about nothing more than, The First 100 people at club so and so, get in free. What a forum so the concern black men and black women can voice their opinions too. In Pittsburgh black people have become segregated and lost. While we as black men and black women constant bicker about who is right and wrong, thing happen right under our nose. The last time I looked, black men still lead the city in homicide deaths and committing the homicide to other black men and we need a station or something that gives us a chance to change our ways. I hope we as black people can see the evils of our ways and learn from them. We need to start supporting each other.

• 
• -1
• 
• 

So saddened
written by Shawnta W, October 17, 2009

I am sosaddened about wamo going off the air I grew up listening to wamo and it was not just the music it kept us on top with the news and everything else. I have listed to 96.1 since then and I hate it I just pop a Cd in, wamo gave the black community info about things going on around the world and in our city, I hope we will get another African American station soon.

• 
• -1
• 
• 

Give em Drums?
written by Boom , October 06, 2009

I think that it has been bussiness as usuall as Pittsburgh goes, at least when thing got bad as they often did for us we had WAMO. Blacks in the Burgh have always been just tolerated, therefore, why is it such a surprise that the radio station is gone. The real question is what are Black Folks going to do now? How are they suppose to stay plugged in, get news that matters and relates to them? Drums, like we are in Africa? Well Pittsburgh is one of the most racist cities on this planet. I was there not so long ago and seen a White Man working on the garabage truck. When I was a kid growing up in the Burgh Blacks were the only ones that touched trash, they would come thru early in the morning singing, with huge rubber aprons and a burlap sack, that they emptied the contents of those huge metal (oldschool) garbage cans in. To see a White Man doing that job now (not even getting dirty) I ask myself, if a Brother cant get a job dumping trash dumping trash in Pittsburgh whats left to do? listen to the rock n roll radio? Hell no! we (Black People) do not like your music. My advice to all Blacks leave while you can!, other major cities have black music. Pittsburgh has done away with the lower working class employment opportunities that Blacks once did and are working those very same jobs themselves, basicly castrating the Black Community. So there is nothing left for Black People in Pittsburgh not even Wamo, like I said, same old Pittsburgh sh_t.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

WAMO and Satellite radio
written by Vince Dean, September 28, 2009

Times change and I think the creation of satellite radio was part of WAMO's demise. Maybe we will see a new radio station appear in 2010 with a satellite link also.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

what i think about wamo
written by samar jones, September 25, 2009

i think its sad to see a nice radio station leave, i listen to wamo evey day and i love the music and i miss hearing the music and the djs, i will never forget 106.7 wamo fm

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment